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Join the New Haven Museum (NHM) for “Long Wharf Theatre: A Legacy in Moments,” a celebration of nationally renowned theatre photographer T. Charles Erickson. The event will include a tour of Erickson’s photographs and a conversation with Erickson and theatre writer Frank Rizzo, moderated by Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Jacob G. Padrón, followed by a Q&A, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 3 p.m. The free event will be preceded by a tour with Long Wharf Theatre Director of Artistic Planning and Exhibition Curator Jessica Durdock Moreno at 2:15 p.m.
The program will open with a champagne reception at 3:00 p.m. in the NHM ballroom. Visitors will meet the artist and raise a glass to his astonishing body of work. Erickson’s artistry constitutes the majority of the dozens ofimages in the current NHM exhibition, “Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond,” an immersive and interactive experience celebrating the history, legacy, and future of New Haven’s own world-class theatre company, on view through February 2026.
With his keen eye for composition and lighting, Erickson's photographs capture the energy, emotion, and intricacies of stage performances. He has a talent for freezing moments that convey the essence of a production, from powerful acting moments revealing deep emotional presence to visually stunning set designs and costumes.
Commenting on Erikson’s career, Rizzo notes, ““Charlie Erickson’s body of work is simply breathtaking—and he certainly makes my stories come alive. He knows just how to capture the essence of a production, bringing to life once one great stage moment after another, moments that otherwise would have just become an increasingly distant memory. But Charlie was there and, through his lens and by his artistry, so are we.” He adds, “Charlie and his work are theatrical treasures.”
Since 1984, Erickson has photographed scores of Long Wharf Theatre productions, capturing singular moments on stage, including iconic performances by: Joanne Woodward in “ Arsenic and Old Lace”; Frances McDormand in “All My Sons”; Al Pacino in “Hugie”; Mary Alice in “The Amen Corner”; Kathleen Turner in “Camille”; Martha Plimpton in “Hedda Gabler”; Billy Porter in “Going Native”; the world premiere of Arthur Miller’s “Broken Glass” and many more.
Noting the relationship between Erickson’s legacy and Long Wharf Theatre’s history, Padrón says, ““Through his own virtuosic artistry, Charlie Erickson has captured the extraordinary moments in Long Wharf Theatre’s storied history that have captivated artists and audiences across New Haven, the nation, and beyond. Through his powerful photos, the beauty, courage, innovation, and grit of Long Wharf Theatre’s boundary-breaking productions will continue to inspire us all for generations to come.”
In addition to his extensive contribution to the Long Wharf Theatre archive, Erickson has photographed productions for the Hartford Stage Company, Yale Rep, Princeton's McCarter Theatre, Boston's A.R.T. and Huntington theatres, Classic and Westport Country Playhouse, among others, and numerous independently mounted Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.
The highlight of “Long Wharf Theatre: A Legacy in Moments,” will be a conversation between Erickson, who has called New Haven home since the late 1970’s, and Frank Rizzo, a Connecticut resident of over 40 years. Rizzo is an acclaimed theatre writer whose work can be read in Variety, The New York Times, Connecticut Magazine, The Hartford Courant, Encore magazine, and others—and whose articles have featured Erickson’s photographs throughout the years.
Moderating the conversation will be Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Jacob G. Padrón. The conversation will encompass Erickson’s body of work, his approach to capturing stars in their most virtuosic turns on the stage, reflections on his vast archive, and a recognition of the impact his legacy will have on the theatre industry for generations to come. The conversation will conclude with an open forum Q&A with the audience—but not before delighting in Erickson’s behind-the-scenes anecdotes featuring his run-ins with the brightest luminaries of the American theatre.
“Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond” is on view through February 2026. The exhibition features a collection of costumes, posters, and rare archival treasures that brings the vibrant history of Long Wharf Theatre to life, and a “who’s who” of stage royalty including Rita Moreno, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Frances McDormand, Anna Deavere Smith, Steve Martin, Jessica Tandy and many more. The exhibition will remain on view through February 2026.
The exhibition invites visitors to step inside six decades of theatrical history. Visitors may try on costumes, explore an immersive set recreation, flip through original scripts, and experience an interactive rehearsal space alongside a gallery spotlighting the next generation of Long Wharf Theatre artists.
Dozens of original production photos and archival treasures take center stage in the rotunda, offering a “deep dive” into the context, relevance, and enduring resonance of seminal productions—from 1965 to today.
About T. Charles Erickson
Erickson is a nationally known theatre photographer recognized for his captivating and dynamic images of stage productions. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts as an alumni scholar in art history in 1979. His career as a theatre photographer began in the early 1980s when he started capturing images of performances in and around New Haven, where he was employed as the Yale University photographer. His distinctive style and ability to capture the essence of live theatre quickly gained recognition
within the industry.
He has been the subject of profiles in The New York Times, the Hartford Courant, the New Haven Register and American Theatre as well as a CPTV documentary and the American Theatre Wing’s “In the Wings” series on theatre artists. His work has received critical acclaim and has been exhibited in galleries and in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and the Wadsworth Atheneum. Over the years, he has collaborated with numerous theatre companies, including major Broadway productions, many of the nation’s most prominent regional theaters, and Off-Broadway shows.
About Frank Rizzo
Frank Rizzo has covered Connecticut theater for nearly 50 years, mostly for The Hartford Courant and the Times-Mirror syndicate of newspapers. As a freelance writer, Rizzo has covered Broadway for Variety for 22 years, as well as written for outlets including The New York Times, Playbill, American Theatre Magazine, Connecticut Magazine and Hearst newspapers. He is a speaker on theater, the art of reviewing and interviewing celebrities at venues such as the University of Hartford, The Mark Twain House and the University of Connecticut. His stories can be found on ShowRiz.com.
About Jacob G. Padrón
Jacob G. Padrón is the artistic director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. He is also the founder and artistic director of The Sol Project, a national theater initiative that works in partnership with leading theater companies to amplify the voices of Latinx playwrights in New York City and beyond. Padrón has held senior-level artistic positions at theater companies across the country. He was the senior line producer at The Public Theater where he worked on new plays, new musicals, Shakespeare in the Park, and Public Works. He was formerly the producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where he oversaw the artistic programming in the Garage – Steppenwolf’s dedicated space for new work, new artists, and new audiences. From 2008 to 2011, he was an associate producer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where he was instrumental in producing all shows in the 11-play repertory. Under the guidance of his late mentor Diane Rodriguez, he served as the producer of Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365 Days/365 Plays for Center Theatre Group, a collaboration that included over 50 theater companies to launch Festival 365 in Los Angeles. He is also a co-founder of the Artist Anti-Racism Coalition, a grassroots movement committed to dismantling structural racism within the Off-Broadway community. Originally from the central coast of California, Jacob holds a BA from Loyola Marymount University and an MFA from Yale University School of Drama.
About Long Wharf Theatre
Founded in 1965, Long Wharf Theatre is a Tony Award-winning company based in New Haven, CT. With more than 400 productions to its name, Long Wharf Theatre cultivates some of the country’s most celebrated playwrights, directors, and actors, premiering new plays and staging reimagined classics that contribute to the American theatre canon. Today, the organization builds on its legacy by activating a new producing model — bringing theatre directly into neighborhoods across New Haven and beyond. Dedicated to storytelling with lasting social impact, Long Wharf Theatre continues to expand what theatre can be: locally rooted, deeply resonant, and accessible to all. longwharftheatre.org @longwharftheatre
About the New Haven Museum
The New Haven Museum has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven since its inception as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862. Located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue, the Museum brings more than 375 years of New Haven history to life through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach. As a Blue Star Museum, the New Haven Museum offers the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, free admission all year. For more information visit http://newhavenmuseum.org or @NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.
Date & Time
Sat, Dec 6, 2025 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Venue Details
New Haven Museum
114 Whitney AvenueNew Haven, Connecticut 06510
